The wide brim and the high crown had been lost to almost a
generation, however, in about 1934 milliners looked to Europe for inspiration.
Hats in a much wider variety of styles than had been spied for well over a
decade, were at last back in fashion.

Perky hats with an Austrian or Cossack feel had an outdoor sporty appeal.
In 1935 high crowned hats were tilted at a jaunty angle and had a flirtatious
quality. They were small and pert and were contrasted with wider sailor style
hats. One of the most typical styles that captures the era is the
'Florentine' hat.

Designers vied to produce shock value hats and Schiaparelli made a range of
surreal zany hats that included the lamb chop/cutlet hat, the shoe hat and
fruit basket hats.

Schiaparelli also introduced a Victorian revival in the form of the modern
snood in 1935. The snood became a mainstay method of keeping hair free
from machinery in wartime Britain. Since the snood was crocheted it was
also easy to copy and knitting and crochet and tatting patterns appeared in
magazines everywhere.
Right -
1939 Snood

Meanwhile over in Hollywood Victorian themed films with lavish costumes like
Gone with the Wind inspired a whole range of new hat styles for the 1930s.

Once the Second World War started hats became less practical as people had to
rush to air raid shelters and they would literally drop everything. Barriers
of etiquette became broken down and although hats were not rationed in order
to boost morale their wearing decreased. Hats that were worn were generally
practical and often homemade knitted warm hats, berets and hoods. Fast hats
were formed as women tied headscarves into and instant hat. Designers
produced various new styles, but many only became universally popular after
the war finished.

A wide selection of hats for each year of the 1930s is shown
on the next page.

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Fashion-Era.com looks at women's costume and fashion history and analyses the mood of an era. Changes in technology, leisure, work, cultural and moral values. Homelife and politics also
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